Travelport Close to Being Taken Private by Activist Investor

Sean O'Neill, Skift

- Dec 06, 2018 11:30 am

Skift Take

Travelport has only been on the public market for four years, but hedge fund Elliott Management believes it can engineer a leveraged buyout that will unlock more value from the company. A spin-off of payments unit eNett is a likely early goal.

— Sean O'Neill

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Travelport, the third-largest ecommerce platform for the distribution of air, hotel, and other travel content, is close to being taken private at the end of a process begun at the start of the year by New York activist investor Elliott Management.

Reuters reports that buyout firm Siris Capital Group is working with Elliott Management to acquire the company. Sources did not disclose potential terms for the transaction or the purchase price. Travelport’s market capitalization as of Thursday was about $1.9 billion.

The acquisition would mark the culmination of an eight-month-long effort by Elliott to clinch a deal for Travelport. The New York-based fund disclosed a 12 percent stake in the company in March and pushed it to explore a sale.

Elliott is run by Paul Singer, a well-known activist investor. When Elliott revealed in a regulatory filing that it had taken a 12 percent stake in Travelport, it said it would ask Travelport’s management and board of directors to consider various options, such as unlocking the value of its payments unit eNett.

Elliott said in the filing that Travelport “possesses a fast growing and strategic business in the travel payments industry.” It also said it would push the company to consider the sale of its businesses or assets.

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Photo Credit: Elliott Management is a hedge fund run by Paul Singer, a well-known activist investor, shown here. Eliott has targeted Travelport, the travel distribution technology company, for a plan to take the company private in a buyout. Travelport